Kolkata: West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu has accused the University Grants Commission (UGC) of undermining the autonomy of higher educational institutions by drafting its regulations which almost "toe the BJP lines".

The commission had recently released the draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges, and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025.

The state education department formed an eight-member committee to look into the draft regulations and give its recommendations, he said, adding that the panel has submitted its findings.

Basu also alleged that the UGC was trying to negate the state government's decision to appoint the chief minister as the chancellor of state universities.

"The state government wants to appoint the chief minister as chancellor, but the representative of the UGC, who visited the state recently, spoke against any such move and instead advocated a uniform education policy," he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme on Thursday.

Basu did not name UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, who had recently visited the convocation of a state university but his allusion was to him.

The state higher education department has set up the expert committee to review draft regulations and come up with its findings by January 31.

Basu claimed that the UGC's draft recommendations go "against the pluralistic traditions and values of India that the country nourished for centuries" and seek to "impose a monolithic structure".

Former North Bengal University vice chancellor Omprakash Mishra, a member of the committee, said, "We are of the view that the state must oppose the selection process proposed in the draft for appointing VCs where the role of the state has been nullified and disproportionate power has been given to the central authorities," he said.

The committee has also opposed the idea that the VC can be a non-academic person, Mishra said.

He also said a central-level committee must be formed with adequate representatives from the state and called for a relook in UGC draft guidelines to accommodate the views of all stakeholders.